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What Could I Be Missing???

Hey Everyone,

I'm just looking for suggestions I may not have read or heard about but I've exhausted what I believe to be my options. Maybe I'm just paranoid, you tell me. Tank is a year old and was created through a tank transfer where I put 50% of existing water in with new water to jump start the transfer. I've got a Red Sea Reefer 350. Running 2 radion xr15, 1 mp40, 1 mp10, (offset on opposite sides of tank) and a hydro I've kept through the year. 24W Green Machine runs in sump, have had it for about 3 months lets say, not the best, not the worst I know. I've removed basically all the sand at this point. Nothing fancy underneath beyond return pump, octo 150 INT skimmer, the Green machine, and some bio filter media rolling around with the double filter socks and ATO for Red Sea.

PH is good. Nitrates are 5-10ppm. Phosphates basically non existent. Calc- 470 Alk- 9.0 Temp 77-78. Salinity 1.024.

I feed corals usually around lunch with phyto and reef roids. I feed frozen reef frenzy in the PM, about 1/2 a dimes worth. I don't believe I am over feeding because within 5 minutes, usually everything is consumed minus the small particulates. I skip some days randomly as well to make sure I don't overfeed.

The issue I have is, basically every day, a film grows on the tank glass. Is this normal? I feel like I should be able to go at least 3-5 days before I get build up the way I do. If I let it go, it'll creep onto bottom glass and eventually the sand, and rock etc.

I just experienced a diatom bloom after adding some reef rock and got it all under control with a large clean up crew addition. I've tried letting the go without doing water changes and seeing if it will correct itself, I've got weekly 20-25 gallon water changes, but it always comes back. The scum on glass was there before the diatom outbreak. It's not slime because I have to scrape it off the glass, it won't just rub away. Weirdly, I'm not sure if this is happening or just my imagination, but once the film on sides reaches my mp40, it almost seems like my mp40 passes the particulates over the reef and they start growing on the rock.

Am I crazy or is there a solution I could be missing? Is this normal? Should I just be concerned with my front glass and let it grow on the sides and back?

Any input would be greatly appreciated, suggestions, opinions, etc.

I attached a picture to give you an idea of what tank looks like set up. I wouldn't say I have a crazy bio load to be overloading the system.

Dr. Tims didn't work. Seachem stability didn't make a difference. Adding the UV, changing the lights to the radion, increasing flow with an additional mp10, none of this has made a major difference.

Thanks all, at my whits end here.
 

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horseplay

NJRC Member
Its normal for a 2 month old tank. Just give it time. In the meantime, cut your lighting level to half. At 2 months I suggest running the XR15’s at 25%. Zero phosphate means whatever growing fast on your glass is consuming it. And outcompeting the corals. I see you have the tank in front of a window, make sure that curtain never open.
 
I use phytoplan and reefroids once a week maybe twice. I have a 180 with a lot of corals I use about 3/4 of a tspoon each time. I’ll use roids on a tues and phytoplan on a Friday. Try cutting it back some. Corals have fish poop to eat you won’t starve them. My old system I didn’t use any of it and had bigger colonies.
 
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Its normal for a 2 month old tank. Just give it time. In the meantime, cut your lighting level to half. At 2 months I suggest running the XR15’s at 25%. Zero phosphate means whatever growing fast on your glass is consuming it. And outcompeting the corals. I see you have the tank in front of a window, make sure that curtain never open.
I apologize for the confusion. Tank is a year old, UV is 2/3 months old ha. I’ve ran AI Prime until about a month or 2 ago and switch to the radion. Running 50% right now. Also, yeah that curtain never opens although it does let some ambient natural light through just because it’s not a black curtain.
 
I use phytoplan and reefroids once a week maybe twice. I have a 180 with a lot of corals I use about 3/4 of a tspoon each time. I’ll use roids on a tues and phytoplan on a Friday. Try cutting it back some. Corals have fish poop to eat you won’t starve them. My old system I didn’t use any of it and had bigger colonies.
I may consider cutting back a bit. You don’t find they grow any slower without feeding more frequently?
 

horseplay

NJRC Member
You mentioned the white film is hard and must be scrapped off, could it be alk precipitation? I see both alk and cal are on the high side. If it’s bacteria or algae the film would be soft.
 
Not at all. I’m just using reefroids because I’m having a hard time getting my NO3 up. Old tank I didn’t because I didn’t use a filter sock. This one I am because it’s a lot harder to clean. Old sump was downstairs in the basement and tank was on the first floor. Sump was on a stand. Both tanks are bare bottom. First pic is my new tank second pic is my old setup without using reef roids or phytoplan
 

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You mentioned the white film is hard and must be scrapped off, could it be alk precipitation? I see both alk and cal are on the high side. If it’s bacteria or algae the film would be soft.
I don’t think it can be precipitation. If anything it may be the beginning of coraline growth. Don’t think the calcium is high enough for precipitation. Over 500 then yeah. I could be wrong
 

Humblefish

NJRC Member
Article Contributor
930am turn on. Full power by 12. Ramp down starts around 730pm and lights cut at 10pm.

Unless you're growing SPS, I'd cut the light back to 10 hours per day with only 7-8 hours at full power. At least until this issue clears up.
 
You mentioned the white film is hard and must be scrapped off, could it be alk precipitation? I see both alk and cal are on the high side. If it’s bacteria or algae the film would be soft.
The film isn’t white. It’s brown/dark. It’s definitely some sort of algae
 
Unless you're growing SPS, I'd cut the light back to 10 hours per day with only 7-8 hours at full power. At least until this issue clears up.
There is a single sps Growing now but lights being cut could be an answer. With the room I have, natural ambient light shows through the curtain at sun rise and I’m not home until 5 every day so I like to have the 3/4 hours to see everything. Think if I started up the lights at let’s say 11am, the natural light wouldn’t affect anything in the am?
 
Not at all. I’m just using reefroids because I’m having a hard time getting my NO3 up. Old tank I didn’t because I didn’t use a filter sock. This one I am because it’s a lot harder to clean. Old sump was downstairs in the basement and tank was on the first floor. Sump was on a stand. Both tanks are bare bottom. First pic is my new tank second pic is my old setup without using reef roids or phytoplan
Haha I have a lot more space for cleaning I can see! Beautiful coral growth. What is your daily light sched/ what do you dose?
 
Only thing I dose is fuel and microbacter7. Once a week for both. MB7 I dose once a week shut skimmer off for 4 hours and fuel once a week shut skimmer off for a hour
 
I know im late to the game but this is very normal. If you have nitrates and phosphates and light your gonna get some algae the most common cause for this is sun light hitting the tank.
I too get a thin coat on my glass but nothing really on the rocks or sand this is mostly because i have the nutrients in my water and the light source for the algae to build up.
I have a mag float and it give it a quick cleaning each day and its clear until the next morning if thats your only problem during the first year count your self lucky, on the better side its just a part of your daily routine and makes sure your look at your tank for other issues so while its a head ache its also a reminder of a functioning eco system
 

Humblefish

NJRC Member
Article Contributor
There is a single sps Growing now but lights being cut could be an answer. With the room I have, natural ambient light shows through the curtain at sun rise and I’m not home until 5 every day so I like to have the 3/4 hours to see everything. Think if I started up the lights at let’s say 11am, the natural light wouldn’t affect anything in the am?

How much sunlight is getting through the curtain? IME; natural sunlight can wreak havoc by causing unusual algae growth, bacterial blooms, etc. It's unfortunate but you must control the spectrum/amount of light in a closed system.
 
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